16 dengue patients die in 24 hrs

Staff Reporter :
Fatalities from dengue fever crossed the 1200-mark in the country this year with 16 new deaths from the mosquito borne disease in the last 24 hours till Wednesday morning, the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) said.

In its latest statement, the DGHS said that the death toll from dengue infection rose to 1206 this year with the new fatalities while 2,495 patients were hospitalised during the same period with dengue infections.

Among the new patients, 574 were reported in Dhaka city and 1,951 cases reported in different parts of the country.

The data showed that a total of 8,299 dengue patients, including 2,468 in Dhaka, are now receiving treatment at hospitals in the country.

The DGHS data said also 247,193 dengue cases and 237,688 recoveries this year.

The country has reported 217 fatalities and 43,787 dengue cases as of October 18.

Besides, September has so far been the deadliest month for the dengue outbreak this year with 396 fatalities and 79,598 cases.

The month of August has been recorded also considered as one of deadliest months this year with 71,976 cases and 342 fatalities while, July alone recorded 43,854 dengue positive cases with 204 deaths, the DGHS statement read.

Talking to journalists, several entomologists said that dengue by now emerged as an epidemic as it spread all over the country but observed that the concerned agencies, particularly city corporations could not take required steps to annihilate mosquitoes.

According to hospital authorities, the pressure of dengue patients has decreased slightly in healthcare facilities in Dhaka city, meaning the dengue situation is on a decreasing trend in the capital city, while the number of dengue cases is increasing outside Dhaka city.